In genetics, a gene refers to which of the following?
A section of DNA that codes for a protein
A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity. Structurally it is a specific segment of DNA located at a definite position (locus) on a chromosome.
The sequence of bases in this DNA segment carries the coded instructions that the cell reads to synthesise a particular protein (or functional RNA) through the processes of transcription and translation.
A chromosome, by contrast, is a much larger structure made of tightly coiled DNA that carries many genes; a sex chromosome (X or Y) is just one such chromosome, and blood groups are determined by particular genes rather than being a unit of a gene themselves.
Hence, a gene is a section of DNA that codes for a protein.
Similar Questions
- Which of the following options best represents the predictions of a Punnett square?
- Which of the following sets of chromosomes lead to the birth of a girl child?
- ________ organs are those organs which have the same basic structural design and origin but have different functions.
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Important Questions from Genetics and Evolution
Different varieties of the same gene are called
In a sexually reproducing organism, which one of the following statements is appropriate both for the parent and offspring?
In most prokaryotes, the chromosome number is:
Bacterial DNA is referred to as naked because it is not associated with:
The two important features of sexual reproduction in higher organisms that create genetic diversity in offspring are
